Personal Finances Improve Last Year

March 29, 2004 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Two-thirds of job seekers say their personal finances have either remained steady or improved over last year.

The increase in personal finances comes from a variety of different sources. Nearly 60% of the 326 people polled say they received a raise during their last evaluation and 63% are expecting an added boost from their income tax returns, according to the survey conducted by TrueCareers.

However, the raises were not all they were cracked up to be for some – 26% say their raise was less than expected. For those who did not receive a raise, 35% point to the economy as the primary reason, while another 23% cite their company’s poor performance.

Overall though, the results show marked improvement from last year. A similar poll conducted last year showed 74% of the respondents reported no improvement.

“As the economy rebounds, employees are beginning to see improvements in their own personal finances,” said TrueCareers President Cecelia Dwyer. “Last year, nearly three-quarters of employees said they saw no improvement in their personal finances, half didn’t receive a raise, and one quarter had stopped contributing to their 401(k) accounts. The current survey results indicate we are back on course.”

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